North Carolina · $1 tickets
Best $1 North Carolina Scratch-Off Tickets
There are 4 active $1 scratch-off games in the NC Education Lottery right now. Ranked by expected return — how much, on average, comes back for every $1 spent — the best is 5X The Cash at $0.60 per $1. Updated Oct 31, 2026.
Across the 4 $1 North Carolina games with a calculable return, the strongest pays back $0.60 per $1 and the weakest $0.58 — a 2-cent gap on the dollar, averaging $0.59. The biggest prize still in play at this price is $10,000 on 5X The Cash (8 still unclaimed).
| # | Game | Price | Return / $1 | Odds to Win | Top Prize | Est. Tickets Left | Prize Tiers Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  5X The Cash#28 | $1 | $0.60 / $1 | — | $10,000 | 14,713,012 | 11/11 |
| 2 |  Lucky 7s#40 | $1 | $0.59 / $1 | — | $7,000 | 6,771,809 | 14/14 |
| 3 |  Hit $50!#51 | $1 | $0.59 / $1 | — | $5,000 | 5,505,909 | 9/9 |
| 4 | $1 | $0.58 / $1 | — | $5,000 | 1,472,428 | 11/11 |
Even the best $1 ticket almost always returns less than $1 per $1 played. These rankings tell you which games are less bad, not which are profitable. Play for fun, not for income.